The following are samples of student letters written to be submitted to the Park District to advocate for the Piping Plover
Dear Park District Leaders,
I hope that you all are doing well during this horrible pandemic. It has been a horrible month, and I hope you guys are doing well. Me and many other ecology students are very grateful that you guys keep taking care of the park, even during these hard times. Even with the grand space you guys already have for the Montrose Beach Dunes not all of the animals have a safe place to go, so to fix this I think it would be good to expand the dunes to make space for the Piping Plover and Bank Swallow. In this website, it says that the land around the dune is a perfect place for the Piping plover to live, and since they are sensitive to the presence of humans I think that living in a protected area would be good for them. In this website, it also shows that living in the area around the Dunes would be good as well since there are not many places like that in the city it would be easy to live in that area. That is why I think it would be a good idea to expand the Montrose Point Dune
From Thalia Waters Elementary
Dear Mr. Mike Kelly, Mr. Patrick Levar, Mr. Matthew Freer, Ms. Cathay Breitenback,
I believe that we have a matter we should discuss involving the Montrose Beach Dunes habitats. You know as well as I do that these animals need a safer and better place to live so if I was in your place I would consider expanding the Dunes Natural Area. These animals can’t live because their homes are being destroyed so you have to give them a more permanent solution. That is all I have to say; I hope all is well during this pandemic and that you consider this for the animals you have.
Sincerely,
Bahanna, Waters Elementary
Dear District Park Leaders,
My name is Nicole. I heard that you are considering expanding the Montrose Beach Dunes National Area. I believe this is a wonderful idea. If you expand this area, you will give so many birds and other animals the opportunity to grow and thrive and make our city more beautiful. However, now their habitats are in huge danger of disappearing. The least we can do is give them a place where they can feel at home. They are also creatures that live on this earth, so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to give them a bit of room to move around, right?
Thank you for your time,
Nicole Waters Elementary
Hello Ms. Cathy Breitenback, Mr. Matthew Freer, Mr. Patrick Levar, and Mr. Mike Kelly,
I hope all is well during this pandemic we are all living in. As an ecology student from Albany Park, I wanted to thank everyone who has been taking care of Montrose Beach Dunes, but I would also like to propose an idea that you might want to take into consideration. I am asking to please consider expanding the Dunes Natural Area. Expanding the habitats would not only be beneficial towards the Bank Swallow bird community, but it would also benefit the Piping Plover birds. Many of the birds nesting habitats have been lost due to construction developments over the years. According to the text it says,”Piping Plovers are very sensitive to the presence of humans.” https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/pipingplover/pipingpl.html That is why I am encouraging the Park District Leaders to please support the idea of expanding the Protected Natural Area.
Sincerely,
Yodelyn, Waters Elementary
To whom it may concern,
We all admire the hard work you have put in with the Park District. It is greatly appreciated. I think you should know that we have a favor to ask. Me and many others were hoping that you could consider expanding the Montrose Beach Dunes protected natural area. This would be to include the Piping Plover and Bank Swallow nesting habitat. We realize this is a large task, but it would mean lots to us. As ecology students, we care a lot about the environment. By expanding this area, we can help those birds have a safe place to live and survive. We all hope you can take this into consideration.
Sincerely,
Addison
To Whom It May Concern,
Please expand the Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area. It would help the endangered birds such as piping plovers and bank swallows by providing them with more space to thrive and possibly grow the population. It’s also very important to have natural spaces, as climate change, pollution, and deforestation are destroying many of our natural areas. Thank you for your time, and I hope that you’ll consider this.
Sincerely,
Annika
To Whom It May Concern,
It should be necessary for you to expand Montrose Beach Dunes for the sake of the creatures you host such as the bank swallow or the piping plover. These animals cannot fend for themselves. As the staff of this area, it is your responsibility to protect not only these creatures but many others from the numerous threats/predators.
Sincerely,
Student of Class 319
To Whom It May Concern,
The Montrose Beach Dunes habitat is a wonderful and magical place. As an ecology student who has been to Montrose Beach Dunes, I can say that great memories have been made here. This place expanded my desire to explore and the need to experience different things. After experiencing this I think it would be reasonable and good for the habitat to expand. This place already opens up so many doors for people in general. Please take making the habitat a bigger place into consideration.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Ecology Student
To whom it may concern,
Every day, species go extinct. Some of those species have never been discovered by humans. This leads me to wonder, if we have the option to save a species, why would we not take it? The Piping Plover is an endangered species that deserves the protection of our city. We can sacrifice a portion of land to keep the plovers alive and safe. These birds need our help. Why would you deny the plovers the assistance they need? Please expand the Montrose Beach Dunes. Please help these birds, for their sake and ours.
M. Shea Waters Elementary
Dear Park District officials,
I believe that you’re aware of the new proposal to expand the Montrose Beach Dunes in order to protect the vital nesting grounds made by the piping plovers and bank swallows. These birds, especially the piping plovers, are incredibly rare in Chicago. As an ecology student, I am very excited about this possible addition because this would introduce future students to new species that nobody thought would come to this location. It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people. If more protected land is added, then there’d be a better chance of the bird’s survival. Also, the population might grow at a faster rate. With that being said, I ask you to please consider the proposal, it would really increase the uniqueness of this area and encourage future efforts to protect other endangered species as well.
Sincerely,
Andres Waters Elementary
To whom it may concern,
I’m not going to waste your time and buffer the point that I’m trying to make here. Let’s get to the root of the issue. By not expanding the Montrose Beach Dunes to include the Piping Plover and Bank Swallow, you are actively allowing birds and other native species to be harmed and die, which is a scummy thing to do. These birds chose to specifically nest in this area, which at times poses a threat to them by living close to large groups of people in the city. If we don’t choose to protect these creatures, then we would be having a massive negative impact that would forever be in our cities history, regardless of what happens in the future. You are not only bringing shame to a city that preaches environmental health, you are causing mass amounts of damage to a bird species that chose to nest on beaches in Chicago. No person who does that deserves praise for that action. However, by choosing to expand the beaches, it will leave a massive positive effect on the ecological footprint of Chicago, and even better help save and nurture and bird species that is currently struggling. The positive outway the negatives, and I hope you take that into consideration when making your final decision.
Signed,
Nina
To whom it may concern,
First and foremost, thank you for your hard work with the Park District. We really appreciate everything you do. Keep up the good work. Anyway, we have a pretty large favor to ask of you. We were really hoping that you could consider expanding the protected natural area to include the Piping Plover and Cliff Swallow nesting habitat. We know that this is a lot to ask, but it would mean the world to us as ecology students if you could put this plan into consideration. Ecology has been a very important part of our school for many years. We all care very much about the environment. Expanding this area would really help those birds survive. We hope you can consider this.
Sincerely,
Sydney
To Whom it may Concern,
Montrose Point Dunes must expand to accommodate creatures such as the Cliff Swallow and Piping Plover. These animal’s nesting habitats are in severe danger. These creatures cannot defend themselves from the numerous amounts of predators in the area. It is your responsibility, as a park, to preserve the species and inhabitants located in Chicago. Therefore it is a necessity to expand this area.
Sincerely,
Waters Elementary, Class 319
Dear Park District leaders,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing this because of the proposal of the addition to the Piping Plover habitat. The quantity in pairs of Piping Plovers has been greatly reduced, and this has been a deep concern to the people working in the Montrose Point Dunes area. With this new habitat addition, the Plover population will be able to grow and thrive, but also safely. When a Plover chick leaves its nest for the first time, it is absolutely defenseless. Other birds, different animals, and even people have been adding dangers to the lives of the young Plovers. Despite how ferocious the adults can be when chasing predators away, Plovers can’t defend themselves all the time. There have been instances where raccoons, rats, kildeer, and even stray dogs have been passing by these plover nests, and these predators could’ve easily taken the chicks if volunteers hadn’t put cages around the nests to keep them safe. If the Plover habitat gets an addition, these birds will have more space to nest, and more space for predators to get lost and leave the Plovers alone. The volunteers working to protect the Piping Plovers have a goal, 150 pairs of Great Lakes Plovers by 2021. With this addition to the habitat, this goal might be achieved.
Thank you for your consideration,
Thomas J. Waters Student, Annabelle
Hello,
I would like to talk to you about expanding the Dunes Natural Area. I believe that these animals that live in this area deserve to have a space of their own and be able to be comfortable in this space, not having to worry about their predators attacking them or being able to build a nest and have their babies peacefully. I think that it is important that we take action and give these endangered animals a way of life they have never seen, or a way of life that they can thrive through. We need to work as a community and help preserve the environment and species. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Sincerely,
Angelina Waters Elementary